What happens if I get an Out of State DUI with an Illinois License

First, if you have an Illinois Driver’s License, and you obtain a conviction in another state, the Illinois Secretary of State will revoke your license. The Secretary of State will revoke your license once the out-of-state court reports the conviction.

How long will it take the out-of-state court to report the conviction to the Illinois Secretary of State?

There is not a standard period of time. However, I have seen it typically take about two weeks until the conviction reaches the Illinois Secretary of State. Once received by Illinois, the driver receives a notice from the Illinois Secretary of State. The notice informs the driver that the state is going to revoke his or her license.

What can I do to keep my Illinois Driver’s License?

Once you please guilty, the die has been cast. However, there are many things you can do to prevent the conviction in the first place. You will likely be working with an attorney in the other jurisdiction (Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, etc.). However, by also hiring an Illinois attorney, you might save your license. This is because your out-of-state attorney and your Illinois attorney might be able to come up with a disposition on the DUI that the prosecutor can accept and that will not revoke your Illinois Driver’s License.

How to get your Illinois Driver’s License back if you Already have an Out-of-State Conviction for a DUI:

Once the state has revoked your license, you will need to request either a formal or informal hearing with the Illinois Secretary of State. You can learn more about getting your license back after the state has revoked it HERE.

What determines whether you require a formal or informal hearing?

The type of hearing you will need will depend on your prior driving record. If this was your first DUI, you will likely need an informal hearing. However, if this is your second offense, you will probably need an formal hearing. Formal hearings are explained HERE. Informal hearing information is available HERE.